[Old Pilot]

Thank you Rossi.

We don't all carry the ICAO designator for every airfield worldwide in our heads. The penalty of getting older?

Rob P

First rule of posting in public. Engage brain and check facts

[Old Pilot]

If an airfield is under-utilised and cannot pay it's way

We are talking about Wellesbourne, not an under-utilised airfield.

Rob P

It depends how you do your measuring.

Utilised airfield is not the same as a poor performing asset.

If I owned an airfield which I could sell ,for many millions ,the money would be banked, spent and my flying done elsewhere.

There appears to be a mentality that owners of light aircraft should use valuable property and never pay more than a tenner for landing and £40 a month for parking.

[Ian Flyer]

We pay far less than that......but our club (the members) own our valuable asset....

[Old Pilot]

We pay far less than that......but our club (the members) own our valuable asset....

Exactly...put your money where your mouth is.

Best wishes and happy flying.

[ianfallon]

Flew into the brilliant, friendly Wellesbourne for lunch today.
The message was "it's not a done deal,all is not lost yet"
Do fly in and continue to support and enjoy it.

[Rob P]

Utilised airfield is not the same as a poor performing asset.

Did anyone say it was?

[Cardinal Sin]

I think there's an interesting question for Stratford upon Avon council whether it really can sustain a development of the size that would go onto Wellesbourne Airfield (current population of Wellesbourne just under 6,000) given that there is already a plan for 3,500 more houses at Long Marston, in the same district council area. (http://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/gre ... -airfield/)

Distance from Long Marston to Wellesbourne airfield is just 9 miles, albeit the former at 7 o'clock in relation to Stratford and Wellesbourne 3 o'clock.

[neilmurg]

and as I understand it, Wellesbourne village would rather keep the airfield.

"When taking off please waggle your wings for the village, when safe to do so"

[Ian Flyer]

I think there's an interesting question for Stratford upon Avon council whether it really can sustain a development of the size that would go onto Wellesbourne Airfield (current population of Wellesbourne just under 6,000) given that there is already a plan for 3,500 more houses at Long Marston, in the same district council area. (http://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/gre ... -airfield/)

Distance from Long Marston to Wellesbourne airfield is just 9 miles, albeit the former at 7 o'clock in relation to Stratford and Wellesbourne 3 o'clock.

The trouble is, the planning application will be supported by all the documentation necessary to say that there isn't a problem.

We have been fighting a number of local housing developments that were equally inappropriate.
- The developer produces a traffic report that says there isn't a traffic problem (based on 15 year old data and a survey carried out during school holidays).
- He produces a sustainability report that says there is a GP surgery nearby (ignoring that it's full), there is a school nearby (ignoring that it's full) and there is a bus route.....well, somewhere, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad?
- The developer will produce a report saying that local services can be suitably upgraded (but he won't be paying).
- The developer will say that they will design a drainage system that will cope.....despite the local infrastructure having been installed when it was a small housing cluster.

And the planners will accept all this.....because they cannot be bothered to properly check it and there will be little or no objection from locals (who by now simply accept that their council will do as it pleases).

Local people DO need to object - show the councillors on the planning committee that their cushy little side-line is at risk if they go against what local people want. That is the only way to stop this!

[kanga]

...... I can't actually think of the last airfield that I flew into that wasn't build by the RAF in the first place

Not been to Staverton ?

.. which was built as a deliberately joint municipal venture by Gloucester City and Cheltenham Borough. It is celebrating its 80th birthday this year .. There were RAF tenant units during the war, but it was never run by the RAF.

Incidentally, it replaced a grass field at/called Down Hatherley which was already home to the Cotswold Aero Club (since 1927), which is also still going.

[I have also flown to/from airfields started not by the RAF but the RFC .. ]

[cockney steve]

I don't see how any club is going to find £80 million. Yes, you did read that correctly £80 million.

OH, NO, HE DIDN'T. (Opps, sorry, the Panto season's done with
Nevertheless, i appreciate these ludicrous prices are offered for speculative development sites


Now, a little illustrative tale , but note this is mainly hearsay and the truth has not been verified.
Lancs Aero Club used to be based at Barton, they apparently leased the aerodrome. A bit dog-eared, but a thriving engineering workshop/hangar and a happy clubhouse and bar........For reasons unknown (presumably end of lease) the premises were sold to Manchester Airport and ultimately, LAC became homeless (those who are curious may wish to read/endure the "Ashcroft Farm" threads /website ) As an aviation operator found it economically viable to buy and operate this GA site, one has to question why the then incumbent management of LAC had no strategy or plan in place to secure the Club's future where they were already established and were in a position to know, long term, that this situation would arise, and plan accordingly. A crying shame ,as it was a smashing, friendly club.

This is just one example....I don't blame the current owners...their objective, as a business, is to return the maximum profit to their owners/shareholders.....An aero-club will generally be predominantly volunteers,so their labour cost-base will be lower Profit would be retained internally to make improvements for the benefit of members......Overall,a mutual (a club) has a big financial advantage over a commercial organisation.
As someone else commented, you can't expect to use several million poundsworth of facilities for a tenner, if the owners need to make a profit.

[johnm]

The truth is that the planning system is corrupt and hasn't done anything sensible since Milton Keynes was built in the 1970s

[Johnny]

"corrupt" not sure why you should believe this to be the case

[Frank Leopald]

Hi there Cockney Steve,

Need to correct a few facts in your post about the history surrounding Barton and the Lancashire Aero Club.

Manchester Airport did not buy Barton and have never had a financial interest in it. Manchester City Council owned the land and leased it for very many years to the LAC through their City Estates and Valuation Office. Up till a few years before the debacle the rent was termed 'peppercorn' but this was upped on granting a new lease to £50k per year. Furthermore, break clauses inserted meant the Aero Club had little security of tenure and hence continued not to be in a position to raise development capital. One reason for pursuing a new lease was the goal of secure tenure so Barton could get the money it so obviously needed.

Into the tale comes the Leader of MCC, Howard Bernstein and John Whittaker the owner of Peel (let's just use that to describe the many and various trading names) Together they shared joint visions of how the west crescent of Manchester could be regenerated; one shining example being the (now) intu Trafford Centre. Another joint venture is the Manchester Ship Canal Company which has been the vehicle or should that be vessel, for many canal side developments not least of which is the Port Salford/ City Gateway.

At some stage the lease for Barton was transferred to MSCC reportedly for £1 and this led to the LAC leaving it's home of some 50 years.

FL

[rikur_]

...... I can't actually think of the last airfield that I flew into that wasn't build by the RAF in the first place

Not been to Staverton ?

alas no .... I've clearly not been heading far enough south.

Checking the log book for 2015, of 18 airfields I've visited, only Northrepps/Cromer, Skegness and Fenland appear to have no military roots.... Nottingham has military roots, but was around before then, and the other 14 from what I can tell started off as military (Full Sutton, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Humberside, Blackpool, Teeside, Nottingham, Muckleborough/Weybourne, Church Fenton/Leeds East, Doncaster/RH, Elvington, Sandtoft, Sleap, Caernarfon and Llanbedr)

I guess this may well be a region thing - in North Yorks/Lincolnshire with simply so may ex-military airfields around, most clubs have grown up around one rather than building anything new. I still have the perception that getting the relevant planning and other permissions is a pretty high hurdle - even for a big field in the middle of nowhere.

Wellesbourne and Gloucester both now high up the to-do list as a result of recent threads - so will be heading further south for these. Any other suggestions approximately 90 mins flying time from York welcomed (criteria: at least 500m of runway + good lunch)